Tag Archives: family

It’s 9° F (-13° C if you want to be dramatic and/or Canadian) and I am just about ready to hibernate. I usually don’t mind the winter much, but I do mind being trapped inside with every single one of our children’s toys and books strewn about the floor. Our living room looks like failed performance art. Or an especially colorful episode of Hoarders.

Regardless… Lord knows we’re lucky to be safe + warm.

The only person more ready to hibernate than me is my dog. Who is not technically a person. But he kind of is. I’m letting him hide out in the peace of the master bedroom with my other favorite child… the surprisingly alive $10 monstera plant I got at the grocery store this summer.

Here are a few of my hibernation faves.

HIBERNATION FAVES

TOASTY HOME IMPROVEMENTS (all credit goes to Nick): We live in a renovated three family in Southie and the front of our house is always freeeeezing. This winter, Nick sealed our windows with this insulating kit ($13, one box worked for all three windows) and (this is very geriatric but also very amazing) surprised me with a heated mattress pad for Christmas. I didn’t know these things even existed, but I am glad they do. I use the pre-heat feature 30 minutes before I go to bed + feel like I’ve been touched by an angel (that can be delivered the next day by Amazon Prime…).

RAW APPLE CIDER VINEGAR SHOTS from Vermont Village: These single serving shots come in 5 varieties and provide the same healthy benefits of regular ACV (including that sort of warming kick I love), but without the harsh taste. Vermont Village sent me all 5 varieties to try, and I am especially enjoying their Cranberries + Honey and Turmeric + Honey shots straight in the morning or mixed with plain seltzer for a little afternoon treat.

We spent the last few days chasing around two very cute sheep. This was the first holiday as a family of four that we’ve really been able to get out there (without a stroller) and do the things that people do on Halloween (I guess… it’s never been my jam).

I picked up matching sheep costumes for Grace + Nick on a whim, and it was probably the best Target money I’ve ever spent. Which is saying something. They took to them instantly, crawling around our condo for hours (as Grace pointed out, “sheeps use all of their legs for walking”). They made their public debut at the Cape this weekend, where we hit up the annual Green Halloween at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. The museum was open (and admission was super discounted — $5 for kids, free for accompanying adults) and full of fun Halloween activities and surprises.

On Sunday, we took my aunt Mary’s suggestion and brought our sheep to CJ’s Horse Ranch in West Barnstable for their Halloween Fun Day. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a pair of sheep ride ponies. After a tractor tour and the pony rides, Grace and Nick got to meet and trick-or-treat with the horses.

Everyone was so kind and generous, and our kids had so much fun at both events. As I scrolled through the 890 photos I took, I kind of couldn’t believe they were real. The whole weekend was pure magic.

A SEASON OF GRATITUDE

As I lit my soy Christmas tree scented candle this morning (it’s time), I knew I wanted that feeling of the weekend’s magic to last. I knew I wanted to avoid the overwhelm that often sets in this time of year, as best I can. I knew I wanted to soak up all that wonder and joy on my kids’ faces. I knew I wanted to focus on the things that matter… which basically, aren’t things. And I kept coming back to gratitude. So I made us a printable chart thing. Because that’s who I am, for better or worse.

I’m planning to take a few minutes each night during this holiday season to write about gratitude– who and what I’m grateful for, etc. And I’d love for you to join me, if you’re interested. Feel free to use #gratitudeOTFT when sharing on social. Wouldn’t it be lovely to see what everyone is feeling grateful for?

Thank you for sharing:

August is winding down, people are talking back to school, stores are selling Halloween candy and pumpkin spiced nonsense… and I’m here, pretending to be immune to it all, soaking up some late summer bliss.

This has been a summer to remember.

Fortunately I have an Instagram feed and recently acquired old school journal to help with that remembering… (most days I forget where 90% of the things we need are… and then there was that one time Grace announced, “Mom, one of your children is missing!”… it was Nicky. And he was in the driveway. And yes, I was sure to write that down because it seemed both hilarious and intensely terrifying.).

The kids and I have spent nearly every day of the last 2 1/2 months down the Cape, free from the rush and routine of our city lives, which has been both exhilarating and disorienting. We’ve missed Nick terribly while he’s been at work during the week, and packed as much adventure into our weekends with him as possible.

We put quite a dent in the summer bucket list we made as a family back in June (which I wrote on the first page of the aforementioned journal… I am basically a middle schooler trying to have the best summer ever).

Band concert (Elizabeth) — we made it to 3 of Harwichport’s Music in the Port nights

Play in the pool (Grace) — No pools, but lots of “underwater diving” in Nantucket Sound

Make a safety plan (Grace)… can you tell she’s my daughter? Safety first, fun second. Also, a safety plan would have really helped on a day like this one… so maybe I should get on this.

Go to the playground (Grace) — and not just any playground, legit the best playground

Fireworks (Grace) — Maybe this weekend in West Dennis?

Make tie dye shirts (Grace) — She made one for herself, Nicky and all of the cousins

Go to a “baseball concert” (Grace)… I think she meant a game… and I totally blew it (the Cape League season ended two weeks ago)

Bubbles (Nicky)… a solid contribution to the list

Drive in movies (Nick)

There’s still time, people. THERE IS STILL TIME.

I knew this would be a fun summer, but I hadn’t anticipated that it would be more significant than that. My time alone with Grace and Nicky truly has been something special. Something to cherish. Something to reflect on. Something to miss when they’re older and can drive themselves to get ice cream. Something to learn and grow from as a mother (and, like, a regular person).

Late summer is perfect for this sort of thing (learning, growing, reflecting).

As the season begins to shift, we inevitably do too.

Soon we will fall back into our routines. We’ll spend more time actually doing things, and less time counting boats and birds. We’ll have more structure to our days, and less sand in our shoes. We’ll have a little time apart (likely important for the sanity of everyone involved) while the kids are in school. And we’ll eat less ice cream (again… important).

But for now, for these last few weeks, we’re going to live in our late summer bliss.

Thank you for sharing:

“I go to the ocean to calm down, to reconnect with the creator, to just be happy.”

–Nnedi Okorafor

In a world such as this, it’s so easy to worry, to fear, to fret. To slip into a funk and hide there (and if there are good snacks, maybe stay there for a day or two). So when we have a chance (no matter how fleeting) to just be happy, I believe it’s imperative to take it.

Bring a friend (and sunscreen) with you.

Also On Tap for Today:

Pretending I am a Polar Seltzer limited edition expert (mostly I just drink a lot of seltzer and imagine I know about flavoring)

Thank you for sharing:

Free summer fun in Boston… Because the only thing better than summer fun, is free summer fun. I think.

Even better, still, would be if this free summer fun came with some sort of plan that enables you to prevent your toddler and preschooler from running in separate directions, at high speeds, at the same time, in public…

Holler at your girl if you have such a plan. In the meantime, there are so many great (and yes, free) events being held in the Boston area this summer. Here are a few that caught my eye.

FREE SUMMER FUN IN BOSTON

All events are free + open to the public (see the link above for full listing). I’m hoping to catch a few sail by’s (is that a thing?) at Castle Island as the ships depart next Thursday, and will definitely be taking the kids to see the ships docked in the Seaport earlier in the week. You can find the list of ships by pier locations here.

This great annual program sponsors admission at several different museums and institutions on Fridays throughout the summer. Check the schedule (linked above) for featured venues, June 23rd through August 25th. Highlights include:

Every other Wednesday: Free bike tune-ups with Landry’s, 7:30-9:30 AM.

More (free!) fitness in Boston

If you’re looking for additional (free!) fitness classes throughout the city…. from yoga to line dancing and yoga to boxing, Jamie Ducharme at Boston Magazine has a great round-up here: Your Ultimate Guide to Free Fitness in Boston.

Thank you for sharing:

This is what life feels like at the moment, as I realize May is less than a week away:

Press 1 if you’d like time to slow down.

Press 2 if you’d like to time to speed up to the part of the day when both kids are asleep and you can hear yourself think.

Press 3 if you have no idea what you want.

Now imagine me pressing 1-2-3 over and over again on the imaginary keypad of an imaginary phone. Basically, that’s April in a nutshell.

APRIL 2017 | CURRENTLY

Currently enjoying

What I’m calling a gentle return to consistent running (as gentle as things can get while pushing the beast that is a double running stroller). No pressure, just getting out there. Granted, I am registered for a few upcoming races, but in the interim, I’m enjoying getting back in the groove.

A turn for the better, weather-wise. We spent this past Sunday visiting the baby animals (including two lambs that were only 3 days old!), checking out the plants, and enjoying a picnic lunch at Ward’s Berry Farm in Sharon (about 30 minutes from the city). It’s remarkable what good weather and fresh air can do. Like, it practically makes me a nice, normal person.

Currently watching

Nick and Clark follow each other around, looking for adventure. And snacks.

This Heineken ad, which seems like a masterful foil to Pepsi’s faux protest nonsense.

The last few episodes of The West Wing. I must have inadvertently and magically saved them for times like these. Imagine if CJ was Press Secretary in real life?

Currently reading

Any and everything with Grace (books, flashcards, magazine covers, junk mail ads for personal injury lawyers). She is recognizing and starting to sound out letters (and a couple words) and it is utterly amazing to me.

Currently listening to

An old Ben Folds playlist. Nick and I danced to The Luckiest as our first dance at our wedding, and I think I played it thirty-seven times this week. Grace asked me to turn it off all thirty-seven times. Whatever, kid. Also on the playlist: Still Fighting It, Fred Jones – Pt. 2, and Philosophy… that intro always makes me wish I could jam on the piano.

A whole slew of podcasts. Current favorites: Pod Save America,With Friends Like These, Body Kindness,From The Heart: Conversations with Yoga Girl,Call Your Girlfriend, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, Up First, and Book Club Appetizer. I’m also looking forward to DeRay Mckesson’s new podcast, which launches next week. I’ve all but sworn off TV news (I can’t quit political rantings on Twitter, however… old habits), and find that a lot of these podcasts fill the void nicely. Without driving me insane.

Currently feeling

Grateful for moments of solitude here and there, not to mention a loving + supportive family. I found this piece of “almost sea glass” (in cobalt glass, no less) while taking a solo beach walk at the Cape towards the beginning of the month. It wasn’t sharp enough to worry about someone’s safety, so I’m certain the right thing to do would have been to throw it back into the surf so it could become actual sea glass… but I kept it. In a lot of ways, I’m feeling like the human version of somewhere between almost sea glass and actual sea glass. As I shared in an earlier post, this month has felt like a real time of transition. Having quiet time to reflect has been really good. Life is amazing and strange and weird and wonderful. Also, if I write a memoir, please talk me out of titling it “Almost Sea Glass: The Elizabeth Story.” And more importantly, talk anyone and everyone out of publishing it.

Excited for the next few weeks. Full schedules, full hearts, can’t lose. Or whatever they used to say on that football show. (JK…Friday Night Lights was the best.)

Thank you for sharing:

February is wrapping up. And no, it’s not a leap year. Consider this a friendly PSA that my birthday is basically moments away (March 1st always seems to sneak up on people). I’m not always so clear on how timezones work, but I think I’m already 35 on the other side of the world. Meanwhile, Grace keeps asking if I’m 45 yet. So there’s that.

But I don’t want to rush February out the door just yet. Despite the country imploding, I’m grateful we had things like my nephew’s baptism, Valentine’s Day, the Patriots winning the Super Bowl, Hillary’s message to the people and 70 degree weather to celebrate. We left our jackets at home and walked on the beach. We spotted the first plants sprouting. Spring is coming.

CURRENTLY | February 2017

…dinner with Nick most nights after the kids go to bed (as opposed to snacking from the babes’ plates at 5 o’clock). It’s been such a nice change.

Currently watching

So we watched like 5 minutes of a PBS special featuring various spy cameras disguised as animals, both because it sounded cool and it was not about the government. The idea is that you get to see animals behaving as if they were not being spied on. Unfortunately we caught the part where the baby monkey spy camera fell, and the real monkeys thought it had died and were, like, mourning. It was devastating. Did I mention that I am generally an emotional basket case?

…plans for a meaningful Lenten exercise. In the past I’ve given up Diet Coke, snacking, sugar and swearing (but not all in the same year… I’m neither a saint nor a martyr). Other years, I’ve added more prayer, more intentional acts of kindness and more time away from technology. For me, Lent is the ultimate lesson in patience. In waiting. In remaining hopeful. Perhaps I’ll simply meditate on that lesson. While not drinking a Diet Coke.

A set of mini, mono-printed art journals. It was a random Tuesday night project, but I am thrilled with the results. I’ll share photos later this week.

A “good behavior” jar. I am semi-mortified and semi-amazed at how well it’s working. (To clarify: We are rewarding Grace’s good behavior, not mine…)

Currently listening to

“Call on Me” (Ryan Riback Remix) by Starley — it’s the perfect windows down in February song

This Irish Flute & Tin Whistle playlist on Spotify… baby Nick and I had music class this morning and the teacher broke out his tin whistle (apparently we missed the Irish flute last week). Nick was mesmerized in class and keeps dancing and clapping along to this lively mix. I think it’ll do wonders, too, for those times we are nearrrrrrly home and one or both kids is starting to nod off in the car.

I hope you’re enjoying these last bits of February and looking forward to a lovely March.

Thank you for sharing:

I could not be more grateful to be her mother. She is kind, sensitive, and endlessly curious. She is full of spirit and compassion.

She loves trucks, farms, creatures, stickers, rocks, art projects, gymnastics, grocery shopping and adventures. She speaks up for others (often suggesting that Clark needs some “peace and quiet from our noisy fun”). She is observant and remembers everything. She captures the smallest details and delights in things I might completely miss if it weren’t for her wonderful declarations about birds nests and police cars and seagulls.

Without fail on our morning drives to school, she tells me she will “be a good friend, a good listener… and not take a nap.” She recently told me she couldn’t eat beans because she “is a human bean!”

She favors rules, routines and order. She loves her brother and wishes he wouldn’t do “tricky, dangerous things” like climbing on the table.

Grace wears a size XXS leotard, but her heart is so big it fills the whole house.

She is the best motivation for speaking kindly, clearly and honestly. She is the best motivation for seeing good + God in all things, and in all people. She is the best motivation for doing what I can, when I can to make this world worthy of her, her brother and all children.

Thank you for sharing:

This time between Christmas and the New Year has turned into the perfect little winter rest. Nick had a few days off from work, we let Grace play preschool hooky for the week, and welp… baby Nick, Clark and I live on a very flexible schedule that revolves around naps and snack time. And laundry. But mostly snack time.

We’ve been hiding out (but not really, because everyone knows we’re here) down the Cape, watching the birds. And eating soup. Hanging up some artwork and setting up a basement gym. Reading my favorite Wendell Berry poem and resting. Binge-watching Super Store once the kids are in bed. Coloring and playing trains. Trying to perfect my recycling system. Hunkering down and staying in.

The largest part of me is an optimist and is fed by hope. But there’s that tiny part of me that is cynical and practical and maybe even a little wary. So I’m grateful for this week, this winter rest, both because it seems like the perfect end to an imperfect year… and because I know that time like this will give me a deeper well to draw from in the future.